The Teams: Maryland Terrapins (18-7, 6-6 ACC) vs Boston College Eagles (11-14, 3-9 ACC)

The Time: 9 PM EST

The Location: Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

TV/Radio: ESPN3, 105.7 FM

The Backstory: The Maryland Terrapins look to extend their momentum on the road after a thrilling last-second victory over Duke last Saturday. The Terps, led by Alex Len and Seth Allen, took down the #2 team in the country 83-81 in College Park. Len led the charge with 19 points and 9 rebounds and Seth Allen hit two clutch free throws to secure the victory, but it was a team effort that beat Duke. The Terrapins outrebounded the Blue Devils and connected on most of their free throws in order to come away with a much-needed signature win.

The hope is that this momentum will continue despite playing on the road (where they have won one lone game against a miserable Virginia Tech team.) The last time the Terrapins beat a ranked team earlier this season in N.C. State, they went on to lose three of their next four games and found themselves on the outside of the tournament bubble looking in. This time, they go up against another struggling Boston College team that they had previously beaten.

The Eagles are having a bit more problems than the Terrapins. Despite playing solid basketball (six of their nine ACC losses have come by five points or less), Boston College can’t seem to seal the deal at the end of games. Losers of two of their last three, with the most recent coming against Florida State by three points, the Eagles are certainly hungry for revenge against the Terrapins. In their last meeting, Maryland blew the Eagles off course (and the court) with a 64-59 victory that wasn’t really that close to begin with.

Sophomore forward Ryan Anderson has scored in double figures in 17 of his last 18 games, including 16 straight, and he has recently gotten some help from freshman stud Olivier Hanlan. Hanlan, who is in contention for ACC Rookie of the Year, dropped 19 against Florida State in their last outing. The two of them will need to have one of their biggest games yet if they hope to come away with a victory.

Keys to the Game/Storylines:

1.) What role with Pe’Shon Howard have?

Pe’Shon Howard was suspended during the victory against Duke for the Terrapins, and it was clear that his calming presence was sorely missed. Maryland turned it over a season high 27 times, and Seth Allen, as brilliant as he was, made some crucial errors down the stretch that perhaps an older player would not have made.

It’s clear that Howard is on the poo-poo list of head coach Mark Turgeon, and it remains to be seen what his role on the team is going to be. When he doesn’t play, the offense scores significantly more points, but turns the ball over more. When he does play, the offense scores less but definitively takes care of the ball a bit better. In what capacity Pe’Shon will be utilized remains to be seen, but it’s no secret the Terrapins could use him at the point guard position.

2.) Lensanity III?

During ACC play, Alex Len hasn’t had many games that have caused opponents to shudder at the thought of him doing that same thing every game. Against Duke, however, he had one of those games that makes you wonder if he has turned the corner and had a coming out party of sorts. His 19 points and 9 rebounds weren’t necessarily eye-popping, but the manner in which he scored those points was.

Len played gritty on offense and defense, and didn’t shy away from contact the entire game. He completely dominated a star in Mason Plumlee, and imposed his will on Duke the entire night while also limiting his turnovers. His ability to do that again (and on the road) will likely dictate whether or not the Terrapins can go streaking for the second time this season.

Prediction: The Terrapins clean up, showing the same fortitude they had on the road at Virginia Tech, in Chestnut Hill. Another victory closer to the tournament.

Jan 12, 2013; Winston Salem, NC, USA; Boston College Eagles guard Olivier Hanlan (21) shoots foul shots against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons during the second half at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Wake defeated Boston College 75-72. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

Here are a few more keys to a Maryland victory, in addition to the game preview

1.) Pick up the pace

I got a chance to watch Boston College a few times this year, most recently against Miami, and one of the things they are notorious for is running down the shot clock. In Miami, one of the reasons that game’s outcome was decided on the last free throw was because the Eagles just passed the ball around until the last few seconds on every possession. With under two minutes to go in the game, neither team had even scored a single fast break point. The strategy is surprisingly effective, and I look for them to employ it against the Terrapins, too.

Maryland is going to need to try pushing the pace and getting the Eagles out of their comfort zone early, turning this into a track meet. Anderson is not the kind of player who will thrive in that style of play, and it will likely make the rest of the team feel similarly. Maryland stinks in the half court, so getting out of that kind of play is huge. It also means being careful with the transition passes that are being made, which might be a bad thing for the Terps…

2.) Diagnose the weakness early

Boston College is a team that simply struggles to put together a complete game night in and night out. It’s like they’re an old boat that’s just sprung a leak; they fill that hole up, and another one replaces it. Against North Carolina State, it was the 24 fouls they picked up that ended up costing them the game. Then against Miami, it was turnovers. In every game they play, they’re typically outrebounded.

In any event, the Terrapins need to diagnose which ailments the Eagles are suffering from early on so they can capitalize on it. Whether that means forcing them into taking midrange and long shots in order to scoop up rebounds, or causing them to foul Len down low early and often, it has to be figured out early and dealt with.

3.) Stay out of foul trouble

Maryland is relatively deep in the front court, but if there is one thing the Eagles know how to do it’s get to the foul line. Olivier Hanlan has some serious game, and fully understands that in order to score effectively, you have to get to the line. His 5.5 attempts per game don’t do him justice, because he’s close to averaging about seven or eight free throws per game. Against Miami, he had ten attempts and had he converted two more of them, the game would have been theirs.

Ryan Anderson is another guy who always seems to be at the line, averaging 6.4 free throw attempts per game. If he gets Alex Len into foul trouble early, that takes away perhaps the Terrapins biggest advantage (a seven footer down low who alters every shot). I don’t like Shaquille Cleare or Charles Mitchell in a one-on-one matchup with Anderson because of how fluidly he moves for a big man, and that could be trouble for the Terps.

Needless to say, they have to stay out of foul trouble in order to make this one a game.

October 27, 2012; Boston, MA USA; Maryland Terrapins quarterback Caleb Rowe (7) throws the ball during the second half against the Boston College Eagles at Alumni Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-US PRESSWIRE

The Caleb Rowe era got off to a disappointing start on Saturday, as the Maryland Terrapins fell to Boston College 20 – 17 in Chestnut Hill. Despite scoring zero points in the first half, the Terrapins were surging in the second half. They scored 17 straight unanswered points to take the lead midway through the fourth quarter, but failed to hold on as Chase Rettig and the Eagles marched down the field to score with 50 seconds left. Rettig then connected with wide receiver Jonathan Coleman on a 14-yard pass to seal the victory for Boston College and in doing so snapped their five game losing streak.

What Went Wrong

There was clearly an adjustment period for Caleb Rowe in the first half, as he threw two interceptions during that span, one of which was deep in enemy territory. It wasn’t so much that Rowe looked bad, it was moreso that he needed a bit of time to get his feet wet. Offensive coordinator clearly wanted Rowe to become acclimated with the speed of the game early, and threw 28 times in the first half, 19 of which came in the first quarter.

That in and of itself is dubious, considering the Terrapins were going against one of the worst rushing defenses in the nation in Boston College. Wes Brown had 51 yards after the first half, and probably could have been used even more than that. Failing to run more often in order to slowly adjust Rowe to the game was a tactical error on Maryland’s part, and the lack of offense certainly didn’t help the Terrapins out in the long run.

Also, yet again, poor kicking by Brad Craddock could very well have made all the difference. On the one impressive drive in the first half that Rowe made, Craddock missed a very makeable field goal which, in retrospect, would have brought this game into overtime. Kickers miss field goals, but Craddock has twice played a major role in the Terrapins losing, and that is far from ideal. The coaching staff really needs to figure out how to correct his motion or he will continue to hinder the success of this team.

What Went Right

If you can take anything away from this loss, it is that Caleb Rowe is probably going to be alright. In the first half he was clearly struggling a bit to get a lot going on offense, but I blame that on the coaching staff putting too much on his plate. He shouldn’t have been throwing so much right away, but when he finally did get into a groove the kid look fantastic. His throws were crisp, and on his first touchdown he threw a beautifully executed fade route to Nigel King in the end zone. Rowe’s arm strength and knowledge of what it takes to be a quarterback is going to pay off in the long run, and the Terrapins should look much better in their next game judging by this performance.

Rowe and Stefon Diggs also seemed to have a clear connection, as Diggs had perhaps his best game as a wide receiver in his short career. Diggs finished the game with 152 yards on 11 catches, but it was his touchdown pass that showed how crucial he is to the future success of this team. Diggs took a pass from Caleb Rowe 66 yards to the house just in time for the Terrapins to gain the lead late in the game. Even though the Terrapins lost, they can take solace in the fact that their freshman wide receiver is a playmaker who should pay dividends for the next (presumably) two years. He and Rowe connecting so well is a good thing, not a bad one.

Player of the Game

Stefon Diggs – 11 receptions, 152 yards, 1 touchdown.

Without Stefon Diggs, this offense stalls and the losses of Dorsey and Leak are far more glaring. Instead of shying away from the challenge, Diggs rose to the occasion and kept the Terrapins alive in the second half.

Goat of the Game

Brad Craddock, 1/2 FG

Craddock’s missed field goal in the first half ultimately damned the Terrapins, and his poor kicking has played a factor in the last two losses. If the Terrapins fail in the red zone on third down, they would be better served going for it on fourth down as they did in the second half, because Craddock is not right at the time. Randy Edsall and the staff have clearly lost confidence in him, and it remains to be seen how that will affect the rest of the year.

Oct 6, 2012; West Point, NY, USA; Boston College Eagles head coach Frank Spaziani watches game action against the Army Black Knights during the second half at Michie Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-US PRESSWIRE

This week, we have an interview with Joe Micik, editor-in-chief of the Boston College sports website,  Soaring to Glory. Micik knows his stuff about Boston College football, and took some time out of his day to answer a few questions for this week’s football game.

Joe Micik: They won’t.  If you’re familiar with Occam’s Razor – the simplest explanation is usually the best – then one need look no further than how BC has “stopped” opposing run games so far.  They haven’t, so it probably stands to reason that BC wouldn’t here, either.

Statistically, the Maryland run offense this year has been about as lousy as BC’s run defense, so I would be inclined to think this is an even matchup, but if the Terps decide to give the Eagles different looks and run an option, BC will probably come out on the losing end of it.  Army and Georgia Tech both nuked this defense back to the Stone Age with the option, and the coaching staff rarely makes adjustments, so unfortunately for BC, there’s that.

JM: I have been calling for Spaziani’s head since last year.  He is an awful head coach and a constant source of embarrassment for my alma mater.  He helped ruin a program that used to win 8-10 games a year.  Whenever you watch a BC game and hear the announcers praise Spaz and then offer some hokum filler like “he’s really well-liked by the fans,” it’s BS.  Only a small minority still supports him, especially after the last couple games.  The Fire Spaz bandwagon has reached capacity and now we have people sitting on the roof and hanging off the doors.

There have been local media articles recently saying that the players still support the coach, but sometimes you hear rumblings that not everyone on the roster is so supportive. It’s all second hand information, but I do suspect it is true. Our players might not have the most talent in the world, even relative to the rest of the ACC, but they do have pride. I think they are playing as hard as they can for themselves and their brothers in the maroon and gold. I don’ t think that will change, even with the likely prospect of a new coach next year. To be honest, I wouldn’t be shokced if the team was tuning him out at this point.

More on the coaching situation: there is a general consensus amongst BC fans that with our new AD, Brad Bates, Spaz is gone at the end of the season at the latest.  This is a source of far more optimism than uncertainty.  BC has been in decline since the day he took over, and I think the day he goes is the day new life is breathed into the program.

JM: Rettig is better this year, but I think his situation is very unfortunate.  His offensive line has been of more help to him this season, because in the previous few, they couldn’t pass block to save their lives (or his).  We used to be “O-Line U,” but that’s a thing of the past.  Now that he’s getting a little more time and he’s improved the decision-making a little bit, his TD:INT ratio is much better.  Lately, I think Rettig is getting more rattled because the other teams are getting to him more.

The turning point may have been the Army game, where a defensive line that is on average almost 80 pounds lighter than BC’s offensive line was able to sack Rettig five times.  The completion percentage has dropped and he’s perhaps a little off his game, but we saw long periods of him playing well.  His situation is unfortunate because I think if he had a good offensive line all three years, he’d probably be regarded as one of the best quarterbacks in the ACC right now.  He’s not perfect, but he is tough and a leader.

Rettig is one of the last people I would blame this year.  He has absolutely been a bright spot.

JM: I would actually offer that Rettig has been BC’s best player.  Amidon, however, has been a close second.  After those two, nobody comes all that close.  I would say Amidon’s success can be attributed to a couple of things: (1) Bobby Swigert/Chris Pantale’s injuries and Colin Larmond, Jr.’s placement in Spaziani’s “doghouse” made Amidon the go-to receiver from Day 1, (2) Rettig’s improved accuracy, and (3) hard work on his own part.  It’s clear that he took the time to get better and make the most of his opportunity, and I think some teams have been caught sleeping on him in that regard.

Rettig and Amidon have developed a good on-field rapport, and I think there’s a certain level of comfort there on Rettig’s part. He hasn’t gone to him heavily in every game, but Rettig seeks him out more often than not.

JM: Back when I did best/worst-case scenarios for the season, I had this as a BC win either way because I thought Maryland would be stuck with us at the bottom of the ACC again.  Clearly that’s not so.  I think that on-paper, the Terps are probably better, but the BC fans will roast me if I go against the family, so to speak.  I think this will probably be a relatively low-scoring game, but I’ll say 24-21 BC.  I have about 50% confidence in that pick.

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Great stuff, Joe! Really appreciate the insight although we disagree with the outcome of the game, of course. Be sure to follow Joe on Twitter @SoaringToGlory for some very good football coverage.  Also, check out his website tomorrow as our interview will be up tomorrow.